Overview of EXIST mission science and implementation

The Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope (EXIST) is designed to i) use the birth of stellar mass black holes, as revealed by cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), as probes of the very first stars and galaxies to exist in the Universe. Both their extreme luminosity (~104 times larger than the most luminous quasars) and their hard X-ray detectability over the full sky with wide-field imaging make them ideal "back-lights" to measure cosmic structure with X-ray, optical and near-IR (nIR) spectra over many sight lines to high redshift. The full-sky imaging detection and rapid followup narrow-field imaging and spectroscopy allow two additional primary science objectives: ii) novel surveys of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) accreting as very luminous but rare quasars, which can trace the birth and growth of the first SMBHs as well as quiescent SMBHs (non-accreting) which reveal their presence by X-ray flares from the tidal disruption of passing field stars; and iii) a multiwavelength Time Domain Astrophysics (TDA) survey to measure the temporal variability and physics of a wide range of objects, from birth to death of stars and from the thermal to non-thermal Universe. These science objectives are achieved with the telescopes and mission as proposed for EXIST described here.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables. Invited talk at SPIE Conference "Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010"; to appear in Proceedings SPIE (2010

Primary and secondary teachers shaping the science curriculum : the influence of teacher knowledge

This thesis reports on how primary and secondary teachers' knowledge influenced the implementation of a Year 1-10 science syllabus which was introduced into Queensland in 1999. The study investigated how the teachers' knowledge of the primary and secondary teachers differed and how teachers' knowledge impacted on the implementation of the science curriculum. Teacher knowledge otherwise referred to as teacher beliefs and practices has been acknowledged as an influence in the implementation of curriculum. Yet, a considerable portion of curriculum evaluation has focused on measuring the successful implementation of the intended curriculum and not the enactment. As a result, few studies have investigated how the curriculum has been influenced by teacher knowledge or have compared primary and secondary teacher knowledge. Furthermore, in order to provide a seamless grade one to ten science syllabus it is necessary to compare primary and secondary teacher beliefs and practices to determine whether or not the beliefs and practices held by these two groups of teachers is similar or dissimilar and how these beliefs and practices in turn, impact on the implementation of a curriculum. The research adopted Eisner's (1991) methodology of educational criticism and used a comparative case study approach to investigate the teacher knowledge of four primary and three secondary teachers. Data were presented as a dialogue between three composite characters, a lower primary, a middle/upper primary and a secondary teacher. The results revealed that teachers utilised three sets of beliefs to shape the implementation of the science curriculum. These were categorised as expressed, entrenched and manifested beliefs. The primary and secondary teachers did possess similar sets of beliefs and knowledge bases but their strategies for implementation in some instances were different. Furthermore, these sets of beliefs and knowledge bases served as motivator or an inhibitor to teach science in the manner that they did. A theoretical model was developed to explain how these sets of beliefs influenced the curriculum. This study provides professional developers with a framework to observe teacher beliefs in action and thereby to assist in the facilitation of curriculum change

Science SLDM autumn 2009 - Resources

Collection of resource materials from the autumn 2009 secondary science subject leader development meeting (SLDM) that are designed to provide support and challenge for science departments in the implementation of Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) and How science works (HSW). These materials are designed for subject leaders to use with departments and teachers

Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: a consolidated framework for advancing implementation science

Abstract Background Many interventions found to be effective in health services research studies fail to translate into meaningful patient care outcomes across multiple contexts. Health services researchers recognize the need to evaluate not only summative outcomes but also formative outcomes to assess the extent to which implementation is effective in a specific setting, prolongs sustainability, and promotes dissemination into other settings. Many implementation theories have been published to help promote effective implementation. However, they overlap considerably in the constructs included in individual theories, and a comparison of theories reveals that each is missing important constructs included in other theories. In addition, terminology and definitions are not consistent across theories. We describe the Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research (CFIR) that offers an overarching typology to promote implementation theory development and verification about what works where and why across multiple contexts. Methods We used a snowball sampling approach to identify published theories that were evaluated to identify constructs based on strength of conceptual or empirical support for influence on implementation, consistency in definitions, alignment with our own findings, and potential for measurement. We combined constructs across published theories that had different labels but were redundant or overlapping in definition, and we parsed apart constructs that conflated underlying concepts. Results The CFIR is composed of five major domains: intervention characteristics, outer setting, inner setting, characteristics of the individuals involved, and the process of implementation. Eight constructs were identified related to the intervention (e.g., evidence strength and quality), four constructs were identified related to outer setting (e.g., patient needs and resources), 12 constructs were identified related to inner setting (e.g., culture, leadership engagement), five constructs were identified related to individual characteristics, and eight constructs were identified related to process (e.g., plan, evaluate, and reflect). We present explicit definitions for each construct. Conclusion The CFIR provides a pragmatic structure for approaching complex, interacting, multi-level, and transient states of constructs in the real world by embracing, consolidating, and unifying key constructs from published implementation theories. It can be used to guide formative evaluations and build the implementation knowledge base across multiple studies and settings.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78272/1/1748-5908-4-50.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78272/2/1748-5908-4-50-S1.PDFhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78272/3/1748-5908-4-50-S3.PDFhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78272/4/1748-5908-4-50-S4.PDFhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78272/5/1748-5908-4-50.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78272/6/1748-5908-4-50-S2.PDFPeer Reviewe

Teaching and learning mathematics and science in English in primary schools in the state of Johor, Malaysia

This article attempts to highlight the opinions of the public on the effectiveness of the use of English in teaching and learning Mathematics and Science (PPSMI) in primary schools in Johor. After nearly six years of its implementation, some people found out that the students have not demonstrated a good command of the language and the acquisition of knowledge of Mathematics and Science is seen to be declining. The teachers also do not seem to adapt well in the implementation. A group of respondents from among the headmasters and headmistress have given their views through a questionnaire and structured interview that showed the government's intention to strengthen the English language in teaching and learning Mathematics and Science did not show an impressive result. Thus, the study suggests that the government can try to give an option of using both languages in the implementation of this policy

Dissemination and implementation science training needs: Insights from practitioners and researchers

INTRODUCTION: Dissemination and implementation research training has great potential to improve the impact and reach of health-related research; however, research training needs from the end user perspective are unknown. This paper identifies and prioritizes dissemination and implementation research training needs. METHODS: A diverse sample of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers was invited to participate in Concept Mapping in 2014–2015. Phase 1 (Brainstorming) gathered participants' responses to the prompt: To improve the impact of research evidence in practice and policy settings, a skill in which researchers need more training is… The resulting statement list was edited and included subsequent phases. Phase 2 (Sorting) asked participants to sort each statement into conceptual piles. In Phase 3 (Rating), participants rated the difficulty and importance of incorporating each statement into a training curriculum. A multidisciplinary team synthesized and interpreted the results in 2015–2016. RESULTS: During Brainstorming, 60 researchers and 60 practitioners/policymakers contributed 274 unique statements. Twenty-nine researchers and 16 practitioners completed sorting and rating. Nine concept clusters were identified: Communicating Research Findings, Improve Practice Partnerships, Make Research More Relevant, Strengthen Communication Skills, Develop Research Methods and Measures, Consider and Enhance Fit, Build Capacity for Research, and Understand Multilevel Context. Though researchers and practitioners had high agreement about importance (r =0.93) and difficulty (r =0.80), ratings differed for several clusters (e.g., Build Capacity for Research). CONCLUSIONS: Including researcher and practitioner perspectives in competency development for dissemination and implementation research identifies skills and capacities needed to conduct and communicate contextualized, meaningful, and relevant research

How Does Leadership Matter? Developing and Teaching a Definition of Hands-On Science, a Prerequisite for Effective Inquiry Teaching

This descriptive case study describes leadership skills and planning for setting clear directions by program leaders for a statewide professional development initiative to extend improvement in science teaching and learning. For science teachers and leaders in Virginia, a critical part of setting clear goals that everyone can understand is defining key science terms. One of the four key terms, hands-on science, is defined here. Materials to develop teachers\u27 understanding of the term for effective implementation of classroom inquiry activities are shared, along with a rubric for evaluation by and for teachers. Understanding of the term hands-on science is necessary before inquiry-based science teaching can be fully implemented. Authentic science materials, when safe, are necessary for doing authentic, inquiry-based science teaching in a way similar to how a scientist investigates science

Computer-based collaborative concept mapping : motivating Indian secondary students to learn science : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

This is a study of the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a teaching and learning intervention. The overarching aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention ‘Computer-based Collaborative Concept Mapping’ (CCCM) on Indian secondary students’ conceptual learning and motivation towards science learning. CCCM was designed based on constructivist and cognitive theories of learning and reinforced by recent motivation theories. The study followed a Design-based research (DBR) methodology. CCCM was implemented in two selected Indian secondary grade 9 classrooms. A quasi-experimental Solomon Four-Group research design was adopted to carry out the teaching experiment and mixed methods of data collection were used to generate and collect data from 241 secondary students and the two science teachers. The intervention was designed and piloted to check the feasibility for further implementation. The actual implementation of CCCM followed the pilot testing for 10 weeks. Students studied science concepts in small groups using the computer software Inspiration. Students constructed concept maps on various topics after discussing the concepts in their groups. The achievement test ATS9 was designed and administered as a pre-post-test to examine the conceptual learning and science achievement. Students’ responses were analysed to examine their individual conceptual learning whereas group concept maps were analysed to assess group learning. The motivation questionnaire SMTSL was also administered as a pre-post-test to investigate students’ initial and final motivation to learn science. At the end of the teaching experiment, the science teachers and two groups of students were interviewed. Analyses of the quantitative data suggested a statistically significant enhancement of science achievement, conceptual learning and motivation towards science learning. The qualitative data findings revealed positive attitudes of students and teachers towards the CCCM use. Students and teachers believed that CCCM use could promote conceptual learning and motivate students to learn science. Both students and teachers preferred CCCM over on-going traditional didactic methods of teaching-learning. Some enablers and barriers identified by teachers and students in the Indian science classroom context are also explored and discussed. A framework for enhancing secondary school students’ motivation towards science learning and conceptual learning is proposed based on the findings. The findings of the study also contribute to addressing the prevailing learning crisis in Indian secondary school science classrooms by offering CCCM an active and participatory instructional strategy as envisioned by the Indian National Curriculum Framework 2005

Neural Network Applications

Artificial neural networks, also called neural networks, have been used successfully in many fields including engineering, science and business. This paper presents the implementation of several neural network simulators and their applications in character recognition and other engineering area